Guitars generally consist of a body and an elongated neck whereby strings are tensioned between the neck headstock and the body face panel. The body, in an acoustical guitar, consists of spaced panels defining a resonance chamber to give the instrument the desired tonal qualities.
The rigid attachment of the neck to the body, and the size of the body, causes the guitar to be relatively large and cumbersome to handle, transport and store. However, the need for strength within the body and neck to produce the string tension, and the requirement for the resonant charber of the body has, in the past, dictated acoustical guitar construction and bulk.
While it is known to construct guitars with knock-down or folding necks, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,396,621; 4,073,211 and 4,111,093, such prior knock-down designs still result in a bulky size, and such guitars still require special carrying cases and special care when transporting.
Also, it is known to utilize an inflatable bladder as a resonance chamber for a guitar as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,837,953. However, the construction shown in this patent is not practical from a commercial standpoint, and this type of instrument has not been available.
It is a purpose of the invention to provide a knock-down guitar of either the acoustical or electrical type wherein the guitar components disassemble in such a manner as to permit the instrument to be placed within a conventional suitcase, eliminating the need for special carrying cases.
Another object of the invention is to provide a knock-down guitar utilizing a face panel, neck and headstock wherein these components are maintained in a rigid assembled condition by the tension within the strings interposed between the headstock and face panel mounted bridge.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a knock-down guitar wherein string tension maintains the neck and body assembly, and quick string tensioning means are incorporated into the neck.
A further object of the invention is to provide a knock-down guitar having a two-piece face panel wherein the string bridge is utilized to maintain the assembly of the face panel portions.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an acoustical guitar with an inflatable bladder acoustical chamber which is maintained in vibration transmitting relationship to the face panel by a flexible envelope removably attached to the front panel periphery.
In the practice of the invention the rigid components consist of a two part face panel upon which the bridge is mounted by dovetail connections. The neck attaches to the face panel portions by a pin and dowel arrangement, and the headstock is attached to the neck in an adjustable manner by means of a cam mechanism whereby the headstock may be adjusted relative to the neck to simultaneously tension the strings interposed between the headstock and the bridge.
The interconnection between the headstock, neck, and face panels is of the compression type whereby string tension maintains the rigid assembly of these components.
The face panel portions are provided with a releasable envelope fastener, such as a slide fastener or Velcro, and the envelope forms a compartment at the underside of the face panel receiving a flexible, inflatable bladder which defines a resonant chamber in vibration transmitting relationship to the face panel.
Either an acoustical bridge or an electrical amplification bridge may be attached to the face panel, and converting the guitar from acoustical to electrical, or vice versa, may be readily accomplished.
The guitar components, when disassembled, may be readily packed within a conventional suitcase, and in the practice of the invention it is possible to store the guitar in considerably smaller space than heretofore possible .